A Haunting Fire
by Asian-Inkwell
Summary: It was dragon's fire that had snuffed out the life of his mother and had taken away his right leg, or so he had been told. He had been so young at the time he barely remembered. And yet, he was strangely attracted to dragons. Something about them. One day... he would find a dragon and be a great Viking like his father. Slightly AU Berk. Hinted HiccupxAstrid.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own How to Train Your Dragon! The rights belong to DreamWorks and the author of the book. This is purely fanfiction. X3

**_Author's Note:_ **This is my first HTTYD fanfic so please be gentle with me. w I also want to note that this story is a bit AU. For the most part the characters and places will be the same just a few tweaks here and there. Hiccup has the only major changes as of now. I have it to where he lost his leg when he was younger. If you have any questions just leave me a review or message me. X3 I've had this idea for a long time just never got around to writing it and posting it. I got into a HTTYD mood recently so I thought I'd give it a shot. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy it!

* * *

_The fire of the dragon is something to be feared._

_All Vikings knew that._

_Some from stories, others from just seeing the affects after a dragon raid._

_While others... others know from experience._

_No one knew it better than Hiccup._

_He still remembered those fiery flames that nearly enveloped him as a young child._

_But... something, someone had saved him._

_That fire, that haunting fire._

_It was still as scary as ever as flames would shoot out from a dragon's mouth during a raid._

_But something about the fire drew him in._

_He wanted to uncover the mystery behind the power of the dragon's fire._

* * *

**Chapter One: Fire is Still Fire**

Berk. Good old Berk. Just as cold as ever. Or just as freezing as ever? No matter. It was miserably cold and the last thing Hiccup wanted to do was go outside.

Him going outside? No really... he was just fine curled up in bed surrounded by somewhat warm fur blankets. It would be suicide for a guy like him to take a step out of his shelter.

No sir. Hiccup would stay in bed until it warmed up significantly.

"HICCUP!"

Hiccup winced. "Or not," he muttered to himself. "I'm coming, Dad!"

"Hurry up!"

"Yeah, yeah, just give me a minute. I'll be right down!"

Hiccup stumbled out of bed. "Ouch!"

Such a klutz... but you couldn't blame him. It was always hard to balance on one leg first thing in the morning. His dad kept telling him he should just wear his amputation to bed, but Hiccup didn't. It bothered him too much. He'd rather wake up to no leg at all than wake up thinking he had his leg back only to realize it was his amputee.

"HICCUP!" his father bellowed out again.

"Coming, coming!" Hiccup called back as he frantically tried to put on his amputee.

Why did his father have to keep calling? He was up! It just took awhile to get ready and down the stairs.

Oh Thor... The stairs!

Hiccup groaned inwardly as he faced the stairs. It was such a pain... Every morning and every evening. The stairs got their ten minutes worth of torturing him.

"Like everyone else in Berk," he mumbled, slowly easing his good leg onto the first step. "You'd think I could get down these stairs after a couple of years. But no, they sure don't like me."

He glanced down to see his father looking at him with a not too pleased expression.

"If ya keep talkin' ta yarself, people will be thinkin' ya 'ave gone mad."

"Well maybe I have," Hiccup replied sarcastically.

His father just shook his head. He had given up on arguing with the lad a long time ago. Sometimes he wondered why he even tried to talk to Hiccup. The boy didn't seem to want to accept him, but then again he felt the same way about the boy.

They were Vikings! But this this... Hiccup.

His name said it all. The kid was just not cut out for Viking life.

But, Stoick had an idea. It was a long shot and he doubted it would work. Gobber was the one who got him into going along with it.

Dragon training.

It was a special training that every Viking went through when they came of age.

And Hiccup? Well... he was of age. Fifteen. All set and ready to go.

"Ow!"

Stoick sighed as his son tumbled down the stairs.

Well maybe not quite all set. But he'd be there for sure after this training! He- well- Gobber was sure of it. Nothing can cure non-Vikingness like good old dragon training.

Stoick sighed again. He sure hoped this work. Last time he tried one of Gobber's ideas for father-son bonding time, it didn't work out so well.

He and his son had nothing in common. Absolutely nothing! (Unless you counted the fact that they both had reddish brown hair and had the same blood running through their veins.)

All Hiccup wanted to talk about was the strange doodles and chicken scratch he had drawn and how he planned to build things that looked like his strange drawings. But what use were those to Stoick the Vast? He didn't really care for reading, unless Gobber convinced him it would help in their fighting, which was very rare.

So, all his hopes were on this dragon training. Maybe this would help him bond with son. They would finally have something in common.

"Ah... Good morning, Dad," Hiccup greeted as he seated himself at the table.

"Mornin', son. There's somethin' I need ta tell ya before ya go headin' outside."

"Actually, I was thinking about staying inside. It's real cold out you know."

"Hiccup," Stoick said sternly. "A lad your age should be active."

Hiccup sighed. "Yeah, yeah... I know."

He felt like he was rather active. That is, actively thinking and planning. Okay, maybe he should try exercising a bit, but he had a feeling even if exercised he wouldn't gain any muscles. He was bone skinny.

"Anyways, as I was sayin' there's somethin' I need ta tell ya."

Hiccup ran his finger against the edge of the table. "I'm listening."

"Good. I 'ave an important announcement."

"What is it?" Hiccup asked somewhat suspiciously.

"You," Stoick smiled broadly in hopes of exciting his son some. "Are goin' ta dragon trainin'!"

Hiccup's eyes widened. "Wha... what?!"

Stoick wasn't sure if this was a good reaction or a bad one, but he'd take it. Hiccup was actually sayin' something for once, even if it was just one word.

"Dragon trainin'. It starts tamorrow. So you might want ta get prepared. Go outside an' start workin'."

"Ah... that's great, Dad... but-"

Stoick smiled again and patted his son on the head. "I know, I know. You must be real excited. But don't forget ta eat your breakfast. Must gain your strength."

"But Dad-"

"Pack well, it'll be a tough first days. But I know, you'll be fine. Dragon training makes a Vikin' a Vikin'!"

"What? Pack? Tough? I'm not sure what's going on here."

Stoick looked down at his son in surprise. "I just told you. Ya are goin' ta dragon trainin'."

"Yes... I got that. But what does packing got to do with anything? Isn't the training arena over by the town square? I mean, I know I'm kinda scraggly but seriously! I don't need to pack just to get to the arena!"

Stoick laughed. "Son, son! Don't ya realize it? It's dragon trainin' camp. Ya will be headin' for the small island right off Berk for your first bit o' trainin'."

"Ah ha ha ha..." Hiccup laughed nervously with his father. "I mean what?!"

Stoick glanced back at his son only to see his son passed out on the floor. He pursed his lips. Well... that went well. Right?

* * *

Hiccup was in a daze as he made his way to Gobber's blacksmith shop.

Dragon training... His father was sending him to dragon training!

He didn't know what to think.

Dragon training.

Why every teen in Berk look forward to the day dragon training began and they could participate.

And him... well, he also dreamed about the day where he would fight dragons and be brave like his father. But that, that was all dreams. Until today that is.

He was going to dragon training! His father was letting him go.

It was still rather shocking.

Dragon training... and dragon training camp!

He bit his lips nervously. He didn't remember hearing anything about that. Dragon training camp. Gobber was going to train them on an island? This sounded a bit suspicious. What did dragon training have in store for him?

"Hey Hiccup! There ya are lad! Would ya hurry up an' coom in here? I got some things I'd like your help with."

Hiccup was shaken out of his thoughts. "Oh right... Coming Gobber!"

He hurried as fast as his leg and amputated leg would let him. "What we've got today, Gobber?" he asked as he tied on his apron.

Gobber gave him a friendly smile before tossing a few axes onto Hiccup's arms. "Pack these up for me, would ya?"

Hiccup tried not to look like he was struggling as he carried the axes away. "Ah... ah sure."

"So did your father tell ya the big news?"

"Wha... what big news?" Hiccup panted after he set the axes down on the same table Gobber had picked them up from.

Gobber sighed a bit and picked up the axes himself. "Oh ya know. 'Bout the dragon trainin'."

"Oh that. Yeah. He told me about it."

"And?" Gobber looked at him expectantly.

"What?"

"Aren't ya excited? You've been talkin' about this for months! Nearly talkin' my ear off ya did." Gobber placed his good hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Look, I know you've been wantin' ta be like the others. Now, here's your chance."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "So you suggested this to my dad?"

Gobber looked slightly embarrassed. "Well... you could say that."

He gave Gobber a small smile. "Well thanks. I guess. I don't know how much good this'll do, you know."

Gobber chuckled and patted Hiccup's back a little too hard. "You'd be surprised."

Hiccup coughed some. "Yeah, yeah sure."

Gobber shook his head some. "Believe me, Hiccup. You've got somethin' somewhere in ya. There's a fire in your eyes just like your father's."

Fire...

Hiccup looked up at Gobber. "A fire? Are you sure you're not meaning the reflection of the flames in my eye."

Gobber sighed in frustration. "I know what I'm talkin' about Hiccup. You've got a fire in 'ere." He poked Hiccup's chest. "You want ta be great an' are willin' ta work hard for it. I've seen ya. That's the fire in ya."

Hiccup chuckled some. "I think you're confused, Gobber. I might have a fire in me, but I don't think we're talking about the same one."

"No, lad. Maybe we're not. But one thing is true, a fire is still a fire." He poked Hiccup's chest once more. "Don't let it die."


End file.
